Move · Videos · Dance · 15 min

Learn Irish Dance: Your First Jig Combination

Video by Tyler Schwartz Dance on YouTube · Open on YouTube

A world champion Irish dancer teaches the stance, toe points and the 'cut', with a small push-off jump to switch feet, loops them into a classic jig and dances it to Irish music, then offers an extra hop and a faster tempo as challenges. Clear and cheerful.

  • 15 min
  • Beginner
  • High impact (jumping)
  • No equipment

Good forDancing for fun

Step by step 9

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Stance: right foot in front, left behind, inside ankles turned forward and arms by your sides. 0:54
  2. Points: tap the big toe forward, pushing off the back foot to switch feet, right, left, right. 1:32
  3. The cut: lift the pointed foot up and over, front knee still so the leg swings up like a lever. 3:13
  4. Switch sides: from the cut, push off the back foot with a small jump and repeat starting on the left. 5:41
  5. Four in a row: right, left, right, cut; left, right, left, cut, looping the jig. 7:45
  6. Tips: stay up on the balls of your feet, keep the toes pointed and clap the four counts. 8:25
  7. Dance the jig to Irish music, then again facing the other way. 10:23
  8. Challenge: add a hop off the back foot as the leg comes up to the cut. 10:58
  9. Challenge: dance the jig at a faster tempo. 12:55

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Stay up on the balls of your feet and keep your toes pointed throughout
  • Keep the front knee still and let the leg swing up from it like a lever on the cut
  • Count four: three toe points, then the cut

What it works Whole body

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses 2 takes load

  • Knees takes loadpush-off jumps to switch feet, hop cut
  • Ankles & feet takes loadup on the balls of the feet, points, switch hops
  • Hips movesleg swing up in the cut
  • Jumping or hopping. Impact goes through the ankles, knees and hips.

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Tyler Schwartz Dance; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety